SecondWave is a grassroots initiative to sail a boat constructed from waste materials around the UK.
Promoting STEM education to inspire the future generation of engineers, community engagement in your local area, environmental awareness of plastic pollution around the coastline of the UK and provide an expedition experience for those sailing the boat.
Made from waste
The boat will be made from repurposed plastics and recycled materials, demonstrating how innovative ideas have the potential to tackle our environmental challenges.
Communities around the UK will inspire the next generation to take action for the planet and their future careers.
Our story – where did it all start?
Conrad Manning and Helen Littlejohn met at the Victorious Festival in Portsmouth in August 2024.
Conrad is a STEM ambassador and a Naval Architect by trade and had already built a long board out of 800 milk bottles and paddled boarded around the Isle of Wight and then a Kayak out of an old sail and wooden panelling and plastic bottles.
Helen has a background in organising adventure holidays and school expeditions and currently working for a charity on the South Coast organising beach cleans and educating communities about plastic pollution and ocean health. We both had a similar idea for a number of years to build a boat out of recycled materials and sail it around the UK to educate local communities about ocean health.
- To inspire the next generation of engineers about what is possible to solve the plastic pollution crisis.
- To engage and inspire communities to take action in their local area.
- To raise awareness about the environmental impact of plastic pollution around the UK coastline.
- To provide an expedition experience for those who have never had an opportunity to sail on a boat.
Turning Trash into Tide-Breaking Design
What started as a simple question – ‘Can you build a boat from rubbish?’ – has become a growing series of engineering challenges exploring how waste materials can take on new life at sea. From making a paddleboard out of 800 milk bottles, to a kayak out of an old sail and plastic bottles, each project in this journey combines curiosity, environmental responsibility and hands-on naval architecture to show that innovation doesn’t always need to start with something new.
Sometimes it starts with what we throw away.
SecondWave – The Trimaran
SecondWave is an ambitious trimaran project that brings together everything learned so far in building the recycled paddleboard and kayak – and then some.
This vessel is designed to explore not just what’s possible, but how far engineering innovation can go when the raw materials come from the scrap heap. The design challenges go beyond material use. Stability, hydrodynamics and loading from wind and water all come into play. The trimaran’s form allows for performance without the need for heavy lead ballast a more balanced, efficient and environmentally aligned solution.
SecondWave represents the convergence of engineering, engagement, environment and expedition – the four pillars at the heart of this ongoing journey.
Looking Ahead
The project’s mission is simple:
To show that engineering is for everyone – and that environmental action can be practical, creative and even adventurous. Through collaborations with local schools, community groups and partners, Second Wave aims to spark curiosity promote circular thinking and inspire the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers.
Because sometimes, the best way to chart a sustainable course is to take what’s already out there – and set sail again.